Chapter 47 - First

'I... I'm going to die...'

Heinz blinked. His eyes stung, tears streaming down his face. He wanted to rub them, but that would only bring even more horrible pain.

He could barely breathe. Every breath seemed to burn his insides. This place was hell—yes, hell.

"Down on one, up on two."

A terrifying voice rang out. Sir Gilberton. No, Gilberton, that bastard.

"What kind of company commanders can't even withstand the Demon Realm? One."

He'd only become a company commander yesterday, you son of a bitch. Grumbling inwardly, Heinz squatted.

Simply being inside the Demon Realm was agony. He couldn't breathe properly, and his eyes stung so badly that tears kept pouring out.

How could anyone fight demon-beasts in these conditions? They were monsters. Monsters...

"Two."

He tried to push himself up, but his legs wouldn't respond. Heinz staggered and fell sideways.

"Weakling."

You're the monster for being able to stand this. Heinz worked his mouth soundlessly. Lying down changed nothing. Tears still streamed from his eyes, and drool leaked from his mouth.

Just as he wondered whether this really was the end...

"Are you all right?"

A relaxed voice reached him. He turned his head to find Galahad.

"The... the man who earned... the Grand Duke's recognition..."

"Yes, don't speak."

The man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition crouched before Heinz. The dreadful ash receded.

'Just what I'd expect from the man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition!'

Even this revolting ash retreated before him!

"Any discomfort? Heavy muscles, for instance. That sort of thing."

At the first warm expression of concern he'd heard, Heinz's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm fine!!"

"Good. You can do more. You've still got mana left, so use a little more of it. That way I can see the response."

A stream of incomprehensible words followed. Heinz couldn't understand them, but he understood that the man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition believed in him.

A hot strength welled up within him. Planting his hands on the ground, he rose.

"That's the spirit of a true warrior. Keep at it, Heinz."

"H-how do you know my name?"

"Surely I can remember a specimen's name."

"Thank you! Man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition!"

Biting hard on his lip, Heinz stood. He couldn't betray the trust of the man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition.

"You there, run!"

At the wicked Sir Gilberton's summons, Heinz forced strength into his legs.

* * *

"Sir Gilberton, isn't this training a little too easy?"

Gilberton's eyes widened as Galahad brushed off his hands and asked the question.

"... Pardon? I'm already putting them through hell. Can't you see that fellow foaming at the mouth?"

"He's acting. I checked his mana, and he still has plenty to spare."

"Really?"

Galahad nodded, and Gilberton's face twisted.

"Everybody up!"

Gilberton thundered the order. Galahad quietly stepped back to watch. The soldiers who had refused to budge stumbled to their feet under Gilberton's kicks.

Galahad hadn't lied. Gilberton's training was rather excessively harsh, but not enough to kill them. They were simply overwhelmed by the Demon Realm's extreme conditions.

The way to overcome the Demon Realm was simple.

'Keep experiencing it until you're used to it.'

These men had survived even the harsh North. Put them through their paces in the Demon Realm, and they were bound to adjust naturally.

Training in the Demon Realm certainly helped. Their stamina and strength were improving visibly.

It was merely difficult.

'The hardship is only temporary. The effects of training in the Demon Realm...'

Galahad organized the information he'd just gathered. Thanks to the soldiers' tireless training, he was collecting a very satisfying amount of data.

An old man approached him then: Belograim, commander of the Seventh Battalion.

'He's used to the Demon Realm.'

His composure wasn't that of someone who'd entered the Demon Realm only once or twice.

"You have my deepest thanks. I shudder to imagine what would have become of the Seventh Battalion without you. Falling for the Demons' temptations, those fools..."

"Hungry men tend to follow whoever feeds them."

"Someone who acts on instinct is a beast, not a man."

He had a point. Galahad nodded.

"I'll keep my promise. I, Belograim, shall follow you, second only to His Highness the Grand Duke."

'Promise?'

Galahad had never made any promise, so it was probably Crow's doing. Crow had visited Belograim first, after all.

Though this was news to him, Galahad nodded. There was no reason to refuse someone volunteering to serve him. Especially when that someone came with the Seventh Battalion.

"Very well."

Belograim laughed heartily at Galahad's immediate assumption of a superior's tone. His wrinkled eyes sparkled.

"From the look in your eyes, this isn't just about that promise."

"Old eyes can see a little farther. The currents of the North are flowing toward you. Very strongly."

Belograim pointed a wrinkled finger at Galahad.

"Sir Gilberton knows it too, I imagine."

"Haha. Does he?"

Galahad nodded and placed a cigarette between his lips.

'With the Seventh Battalion aboard, I've gathered quite a number.'

It wasn't exactly a surprise. Galahad was in charge of the Demon Realm training camp established at the Seventh Battalion, so naturally he would wield considerable influence over the battalion itself.

Belograim must have known that too. That was probably why he'd volunteered to serve under him first.

'Sly old man.'

Galahad clicked his tongue softly and snapped his fingers. Familiar mana stirred, kindling a flame on his fingertip. A rich lemon scent spread.

'Hmm.'

Suddenly, something struck him as odd. He'd conjured the flame without thinking, but its mana concentration was strange. Only then did he notice the Egg of agony pounding violently.

Until just now, Gilberton's shouts and the soldiers' desperate screams had filled the air. Now everything was silent. As though every sound had died.

The most plausible explanation was...

'A Demon with mental abilities?'

Galahad immediately circulated his mana. The Egg of agony pounded violently, pouring out mana. The magic circle on his right arm shone.

He directed the mana toward his head to block the mental interference.

In that instant, his surroundings changed.

Galahad stood on a splendid hill. Birds flew about chirping, and green trees swayed as though greeting him. It was a thoroughly peaceful forest.

The cigarette between his lips was gone.

'I definitely surrounded my head with mana.'

Highly concentrated mana, drawn through the magic circle and the Egg of agony. After two encounters with mental abilities, he'd thought he'd learned how to counter them. His defense had crumbled all too easily.

'Was there a Demon left in the fortress?'

Galahad quickly assessed the situation. A Demon might have been hiding in the inner fortress. But this mental interference was stronger than that of the high-ranking Demon he'd met in the real Demon Realm.

Which meant...

'Has that so-called exalted one come in person?'

It was very likely the being who had controlled the high-ranking Demon he'd encountered in the Demon Realm.

A heart pounded violently through the silence. Gray gradually spread outward. It was the Egg of agony. Galahad quickly reached for the canteen at his waist. It wasn't there.

The bushes ahead parted, and a woman emerged. She had four legs, like a deer. But instead of a deer's legs, they were the long, white legs of a woman.

Rather than grotesque, she felt elegant and sacred. She approached Galahad with light steps.

The Egg of agony pounded furiously, as though growling. His heart felt ready to burst.

["Quiet."]

The woman's voice was visible rather than audible. Galahad narrowed his eyes at the uncanny phenomenon.

Undaunted, the Egg of agony beat even harder. Galahad wrapped its mana around his head, intending to break the mental spell.

["Futile."]

At her next words, the mana vanished. Only the Egg of agony continued pounding.

'... The mana disappeared?'

Galahad let out a low hum.

The woman stood directly before him, looking down at him. Her eyes had long vertical slits, like a snake's. Meeting her gaze brought home just how small his own existence was.

"So you're the exalted one."

At Galahad's words, surprise briefly crossed her face.

["You hold your head too high."]

Galahad's consciousness plummeted endlessly.

When he opened his eyes, he was atop an impossibly high mountain. Dark clouds filled his surroundings. Their growling was distinctly unsettling.

His unease soon became reality. Fierce bolts of lightning battered him relentlessly.

'That stings.'

Galahad grumbled quietly.

The scenery changed again. This time it was an active volcano spewing lava. The lava bubbled like a mouth smacking its lips.

Galahad was hurled straight into the heart of the raging volcano.

'Hot.'

He murmured as he sank into the lava.

He was back before the woman. She was larger than before. Her legs alone were twice his height.

The greenery around them was even more vibrant. Galahad looked down at his hands. They were unscathed. The Egg of agony pounded violently, as though telling him to come to his senses.

He focused on it. The Egg of agony seemed unaffected.

Did that mean it was an upper-echelon Demon like her?

"Interesting. Are you going to do more?"

Galahad looked at the woman as he asked. Her lips curved upward. Only then did he realize his hands were trembling, and he clicked his tongue.

She was probably the upper-echelon Demon referred to as the exalted one, the being behind the high-ranking Demon he'd encountered in the Demon Realm. Otherwise, mental interference of this magnitude made no sense.

He could feel pain even knowing it wasn't real. Galahad was intensely intrigued.

"I didn't expect you to come in person."

["In person?"]

Her lips curved upward. Her meaning was obvious.

"Mental interference this powerful, without even coming here yourself. Truly impressive."

Galahad voiced his admiration.

'Did she plant something in me? Are the Demon Realms connected?'

Either was possible. Then, suddenly, he could no longer speak.

He worked his mouth, but no words emerged. Oh, fascinating. Galahad put a finger in his mouth. His tongue still moved, though...

["What an amusing child."]

Her voice drove into his mind. It rang as clearly as thunder crashing all around him.

The feeling was mutual.

The woman pointed a long finger at Galahad. That finger was a tree branch.

His consciousness was dragged away again. This time, he was buried in rotten earth. Countless insects gnawed at him from every direction.

The horror was vivid. Just as a bug with dozens of teeth tried to eat into his eye, he returned to the greenery.

Galahad staggered, coughing violently. He retched to expel the insects inside him. Flowers of every color spilled out instead.

Oh, fascinating.

The woman had grown larger still. Now she was the size of a sizable castle.

["Are you still amused?"]

At her question, Galahad smiled and swept back his disheveled hair.

Very much so.

This time, he was drowning. Trapped in the horror of being unable to breathe, Galahad focused on his heartbeat.

THUMP. THUMP.

His heartbeat sounded faint, as though impossibly far away. But it was still fierce.

'There you are.'

Galahad plunged his hand into his own heart. It slid in surprisingly easily.

The water vanished, and he was in the forest again. The woman stood before him at her original size.

The Egg of agony thrashed, beating so quickly that his heart seemed ready to burst. Galahad lightly shook off his hand.

["Impressive."]

The woman's admiration was genuine.

"You showed me three times. I'd be a fool not to notice something was off."

Galahad clicked his tongue as he answered. Despite his words, he wasn't in particularly good shape.

A clue was essential to breaking a mental spell. Last time, it had been Damian not complaining of hunger.

This time, it was the Egg of agony. Focusing on its violent pounding had let him break free.

'Though it was quite difficult.'

Shaking off his hand, Galahad examined his surroundings. The forest was still green.

Except the birdsong was gone.

It was less detailed than before. Proof that the woman was expending her strength too.

"Do you intend to waste more strength? I don't mind."

The woman lowered her finger. Her lips curled upward.

["Amusing."]

"I enjoyed it too. Ah. Found it at last."

Galahad placed a cigarette between his lips. It lit, releasing a lemon scent.

The greenery around him blurred slightly. Looking behind her, the woman took a step back.

["Come to the Demon Realm. Alone."]

The woman whispered softly.

"Why would I go somewhere so dangerous alone?"

Instead of answering his question, she smiled. As though she knew he would come.

The forest disappeared, and blue eyes gazed at Galahad.

"Are you all right?"

Adrianna asked in her impassive voice.

Reflected in her blue eyes, Galahad was smiling.

A very deep smile.

They were far from the Demon Realm. To wield mental interference this powerful across that distance...

This was...

'I have no choice but to go.'

Unfortunately, the woman's prediction had been correct. She had thoroughly piqued Galahad's interest.

* * *

"Here we are."

At First's excited voice, Pumpkin let out a quiet sigh. They'd traveled all the way from the capital to the North, only to head straight out without even unpacking at the safe house.

"Couldn't we rest a little first? It's not as though he's going anywhere."

"You don't understand. Even now, he's surely plotting how to get ahead of me. How can I rest?"

First's answer was firm. What a fucking obsession.

Pumpkin struggled to suppress her intense irritation. Getting angry with First would only cost her.

"I'm counting on you, Pumpkin."

At his solemn voice, she swallowed the curse threatening to escape.

"Are you really going through with that?"

"You promised earlier."

"That was because you got down on your knees and begged..."

"I'm serious."

"Hah... Fuck. Fine."

They headed toward the Seventh Battalion. The closer they got, the stranger things smelled.

Someone kept screaming inside. More than one or two people, too. Pumpkin narrowed her eyes at the strangely heated atmosphere.

"Doesn't something seem odd?"

First nodded, apparently noticing it too.

Pumpkin stepped forward to meet the soldier at the checkpoint. They carried appointment orders bearing the Grand Duke's seal, assigning them to the Special Operations Unit.

Forgery on this level was child's play for them.

The soldier suddenly bellowed. Startled, Pumpkin nearly drew her sword.

"The Special Operations Unit!! The unit of the man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition!!"

"The man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition!!"

Shouts erupted everywhere. They chanted, "The man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition!"

Pumpkin looked at First amid the bizarre atmosphere. His expression was peculiar too.

"Where's Galahad..."

"You mean the man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition!"

Another roar went up. Everyone cried, "The man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition!" The fervor grew even more intense.

'... What's wrong with this place?'

What on earth had he done here to provoke that reaction at the mere mention of his name...?

First began trembling violently, and Pumpkin hastily stepped in.

"Yes, where is the man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition?"

"This way!"

The soldier brusquely led them onward, his eyes red as though their tiny blood vessels had burst.

All around them, people shouted, "The man who earned the Grand Duke's recognition!"

What on earth had he done?

"Huff!"

First exhaled hotly. Energy rippled around him. He was clearly worked up.

"I wonder what face he'll make when he sees me, his rival of the century and the sworn enemy of his soul. He fled to the North to escape me, but he can't get away."

First babbled his nonsense excitedly.

'Here he fucking goes again.'

Then Galahad came into view in the distance.

The instant First spotted him, his expression changed. His fervor vanished, replaced by his usual breezy smile.

He could work himself into a frenzy alone, but whenever he actually faced Galahad, he put on this act. As though he didn't care about Galahad at all. He played it cool.

It was a truly pathetic performance.

Then First offered his arm. Pumpkin's irritation shot through the roof. "Please," he whispered.

Biting her lip, she linked arms with him. If she wouldn't marry him, he'd begged her to at least pretend they were a loving couple.

Galahad looked their way.

"Oh, Galahad. Fancy seeing you here."

First greeted him casually, as though they had truly met by chance.

'... What? A chance encounter in the North?'

It was such a stupid pretext that Pumpkin felt embarrassed just hearing it.

"Ah."

Galahad gave a small nod. He seemed to recognize First.

First let out a heated breath. He seemed to be trying his hardest to act cool, but excitement radiated from him.

'Are you sure he's your rival?'